Sapphire the Alchemist
by Eliza Boeing
Summary: Mustang sends Ed and Al to investigate the sighting of a rouge alchemist, but they discover his prisoner, Sapphire. What kind of experiments did the alchemist do on her? And why is Mustang so interested in her?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own Sapphire, the Emerald Alchemist, and other original characters.

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><p>The light had just begun to turn pink with the nearing dawn when there was a loud knock at the door of the dorm. "Fullmetal, get up. Mustang has a new mission for you," someone called sleepily from outside.<p>

Al turned towards the door from the far wall. "We'll be right out, Havoc!" he said cheerily. He turned to the lump underneath the covers of the bed next to him and called, "Brother?"

"Mrrrph!"

"Brother, wake up. Havoc's here and he says Mustang has a new mission for us."

"Havoc can kiss my—"

The door flew open with a bang, causing Ed to gasp and _flump_ out of bed.

"ELRIC BROTHERS! GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING THE WORLD HAS BESTOWED TO US!"

A shirtless Armstrong stood in the doorway besides an exhausted-looking Havoc. "Well, Armstrong, it isn't morning yet if the sun hasn't risen," he snapped.

"I second that," mumbled Ed from his cocoon of blankets."

"Mustang told me to get you two up. Don't think that I enjoy waking up at thee crack of dawn to wake your asses up. So…get your asses up." Havoc glowered and strode away, Armstrong following close behind and saying something about the love watching the sun rise being passed down through the Armstrong generations.

"Brother, I think it would be best if we woke up."

"And I'd think it'd be best if you shut up."

Al took a step back as if he had gotten slapped. Ed pulled himself off the floor and rubbed his remaining arm. "Aww, Al, you know I didn't mean it. I'm just not a morning person."

"I know. Let's get ready and grab some coffee before we meet with Colonel Mustang."

Fifteen minutes later, the pair was sitting in Mustang's office, Al with his hands folded in his lap, and Ed with his clutching on a cup of military-brewed coffee.

"Sorry for waking you up, boys," Mustang said briskly, sipping his own coffee. He made a face. "they still haven't improved the coffee since I became a State Alchemist. Anyway, Fullmetal, I need you and your brother to go out and investigate a lead for me. Ten years ago, we had a very intelligent alchemist quit suddenly from his job here at Central. His name was the Emerald Alchemist.

Edward's ears perked up. "The Emerald Alchemist…I've heard of him."

"Have you? Well, we haven't heard anything from him after he ran off. Yesterday, however, we received an anonymous phone call from what seemed like a teenage girl. I have the recording here." Mustang pulled a tape recorder from underneath a towering pile of paperwork and pressed PLAY.

"Hello, this is Central Command. How may I help you?" one of the many secretaries of Central said on the tape.

"Hello? Please, help me!"

"What's your name? Who is this?"

"Please get me!"

"OK, calm down and tell me what's wrong."

"He's sleeping, please save me now!"

Mustang paused the tape and said, "At this point, the secretary began to trace the call with Hawkeye."

"Who's sleeping? Your father? Boyfriend?"

"The Emerald Alchemist, he's asleep and I escaped, I'm free but—oh God no!" There were pounding footsteps, a struggle, and a bloodcurdling scream before the dial tone cut them off.

"She sounded so scared," Al said quietly.

"Yes, she did," Mustang replied. A worried look escaped his stoic stone face. "I will admit that this isn't just about finding the Emerald Alchemist and his lab—which I suspect he has set up in his days since Central—as it is about finding the girl."

"What if this call was a hoax? It sounds pretty fishy to me," Ed drawled, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, even if the call was made by a bored girl with her friends, I'd like to investigate anything to do with the Emerald Alchemist. The call was triangulated to a block a few miles south of here. It was an old abandoned warehouse. That's where I believe he's set up his lab."

"Why all the fuss, though? What did he even do?"

Mustang gave Edward a long look out of his eyebrows. "The fuss is that before he quit, a private found a notebook of his that contained a few hastily scribbled notes and diagrams. They explained how to use plant energy to create a Philosopher's stone."

When the duo reached the warehouse, the previously clear sky began to darken with angry-looking clouds. They looked up the face of the building. "Great," muttered Ed. "Let's hope it doesn't rain. I don't want my hair to get wet." With that, the sky opened up. Al shrieked and ran inside, Ed on his heels.

The foyer was spacious but dark and dank. "Smells like something died in here," the Fullmetal Alchemist said, pinching his nose.

"And it's kinda dark…oh, why didn't we bring a lantern?" Al lamented. Ed, the loving brother he is, quickly clapped and placed his hands on the ground, pulling a crafty lantern out of the concrete floor. It illuminated the expanse of the room. The sign of hasty alchemy showed on the floor and walls, indicating that someone had quickly or carelessly remodeled the place.

"You don't think that he's gone, do you, Al?" Edward asked worriedly.

"Well, let's investigate the entire place before we come to that conclusion."

Al noticed that there was a dark hallway off to the left and gestured to it. As Ed hurried ahead with the light, Al stayed close behind. The hallway's walls were full of signs of alchemy, not to mention cockroaches and spiders that frequently burst out of cracks in the wallpaper. Ed shuddered. "Who'd want to set up a lab in this craphole, anyway?"

"One who'd want to keep hidden," Al answered as they came across a door. He tried to turn the knob, but it was locked.

"I got this, Al," said Ed, kicking down the door with a crash.

All shook his metal head. Always the assertive one, he thought, pushing the fallen door aside. When he looked up, he laid his eyes on what was very obviously an alchemist's laboratory. The room was lit by a multitude of lanterns scattered around tables that were stacked ceiling high with books and isolated vials of liquids. One side of the room was reserved for plants—there must have been thousands of them, all in pots and all of them large. Vines creeped up the wall and across the ceiling. Al walked over to one that must have been a sunflower—but the center of the flower head looked a lot like—

"Al!" He spun around to see a door behind a stack of books burst open and before he could cry, the vines lashed out, tying Ed and Al up t0ightly.

"Who are you and why are you in my laboratory?" a long-haired, lanky man in a green, sweeping coat hissed from the doorway. One arm was outstretched, green alchemic tatoos encircling his hand. He was using alchemy on the plants, the brothers realized. The other arm clutched the collar of a teenage girl, who stared off into space.

"You're the Emerald Alchemist!" Ed shouted, struggling against his green binds in futile. The man grinned widely and with a flick of his hand, tightened the vines. "Yes, I am. I see my reputation precedes me. But who are you two? Disturbing my research, how rude."

The girl suddenly looked up and around crazily. "Someone's here? Hello? Did you get my call?"

The Emerald Alchemist spun her towards him and began to choke her. "You CALLED people when you escaped? How dare you!"

Al, who was not one to raise his voice, felt fury rise up in him. "Escaped? So, is she your prisoner? Let her go!" he yelled, tearing away from the tendrils and barreled towards the man. He quickly pulled out a gun and pointed it at the metal boy. "Take another step closer and I'll pop you!" Al stopped in his tracks and glance at the girl. If he let the alchemist shoot him, it could bounce off and hit the poor girl, who continued gazing around the room with widened eyes as if it were pitch black. She's blind, Al realized in shock.

"Al, don't risk it!" Ed shouted. "Let's just get out of here and get Mustang!"

"Oh, no," the Emerald Alchemist said warningly, shaking the gun. He addressed Al," Yu and your little friend aren't going anywhere!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE YOU TREE HUGGING HIPPIE?" In a burst of green leaves and scarlet fabric, he clapped, transformed his automail into his usual blade, and flew towards the alchemist. There was a metallic _ping_ as the blade bounced off the gun, sending it flying across the room. The other alchemist turned his hand around, revealing an alchemic tattoo with leaves in the center. He brought his hand down in a sweeping wave. Following it was a wave of sharp, thorny branches that tore at Ed's face and chest. Blood dripped into his eyes and he fell to the ground, bellowing. "You bastard!"

"Brother!" cried Al, crouching down to help. A flash of green drew his eyes towards the girl. She stood with a cord wrapped around the Emerald Alchemist's neck. He was flailing and scratching at the cord with bulging eyes.

"Die you scum," the girl shrieked. "Die, die die—"

"No!" Al lunged towards the girl and tore her away. She started to scream and spasm in his arms. While the alchemist gulped for air, Ed wiped the remaining blood from his eyes and, with a sickening crunch, laid a blow with his automail arm to his head. He fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Let go of me!" the girl wailed. She attempted to lay blows to Al's head and face.

"Relax, you're safe!" Ed said.

"We're here to rescue you!" Al added.

She slowly relinquished her fit. "Who are you?"

Al set her down and answered, "I'm Al Elric. This is my big brother, Edward."

"You can call me Ed," he said, extending his hand.

"Umm, brother?" Al said warningly. Ed, staring stupidly at the girl, brought down his hand when it dawned on him, I'm surprised he didn't realize sooner, Al thought, shaking his head with a clank. She had been staring unseeingly throughout the entire fight.

"Why don't we get going?" Ed offered, pulling handcuffs out of his coat pocket and handcuffing the unconscious alchemist. "Al, could you…?"

"Sure brother." Al hiked the man over his iron shoulder.

As Al settled the handcuffed alchemist on his shoulder, Ed saw the girl's eyes flutter, and lunged to catch her as she crumpled. Poor thing, he thought. He scooped her up and held her like a child. She was so light—too light for being fifteen or sixteen, as he'd thought. Her limp, thin black hair fell over her face. The whole image made her look like a bedraggled rag doll.

With a sudden start, he said, "Um, Al, would you get the lantern? My hands are a little full." Al nodded and took the lantern. The two began to trek out of the freakish lab, the light casting a golden glow onto the face of the pale girl. That's when Ed noticed that, like the Emerald Alchemist, she had a hint of tattoos on her neck, mostly hidden by her long-sleeved shirt. He pushed a sleeve up and saw transmutation circles on her forearm. "Al, she's covered with tattoos!"

"What kind of tattoos?"

"Alchemic ones." Ed remembered Scar and his tattoos that enabled him to practice alchemy. "Do you think she can do alchemy?"

Al thought for a moment. "You know how many alchemists use tattoos to preserve their research? What if this is the case?"

Ed balled his fists in anger. "If that's the case, this alchemist is one sick bastard to do that to a girl!" he glanced down at the teen in his arms. Not only did it seem as if he starved her, her skin cried for sunlight. Who knows how long she was held captive for, and what he did to her that whole time…

Ed shuddered as the brothers reached the exit. "The nearest payphone is about a block this way," said Al, pointing. "We'll have to call the Colonel right away and tell him everything."

"Not her."

Al looked at his brother in surprise. "But why? She might need medical attention."

Ed looked down at the pile of skin and bones. "Because, Al, they'll arrest the Emerald Alchemist, confiscate his work, and destroy the lab. And they'll lock her up somewhere, whether it be a hospital or orphanage. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any family. And I'm totally sure she doesn't want to be locked up again."

"What would _we _do with her?"

Ed thought hard, biting his lip in concentration. "We'll take her to Granny Pinako and Winry. She'll be safe there. Trust me, Al," he begged .They approached the pay phone and Ed, with some difficulty (the girl was still in his arms), dialed Mustang.

"Colonel Mustang," he said curtly from the phone.

"Hey, it's us."

"Fullmetal! Did you get anything?"

"Yeah, we found the Emerald Alchemist. We got him handcuffed and unconscious. His lab was there, and you'll probably wanna check it out. It was bizarre."

"And the girl? Was she there?"

Ed paused and looked back up at Aphonse before answering. Al nodded. "No. There was no one else there."

A long silence permeated the air as Ed waited for Mustang to speak. Oh. Alright. Thanks anyways, Fullmetal. We'll get some men out there right now."

"So, Colonel, I think me and Al are gonna take a little vacation, go see Winry and Pinako and take a break, it's been crazy at Central, sooooo we'll drop Emerald here off at Central and be off so see ya!" He promptly hung up before Mustang could finish his "Fullmetal!"

"Trust me, Al," Ed said again quietly.

Al knew the real reason that Ed wouldn't hand the girl over. He associated her with Nina. And since Ed couldn't protect Nina, he vowed he'd protect everyone else.

After dropping the rogue alchemist unceremoniously at Central, they headed to the train station. The man at the ticket booth gave Ed an off look; one would be normal to be suspicious at the sight of a teenage boy carrying an unconscious girl through a busy train station.

"I'm a State Alchemist, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Just give us three tickets to Risembool," Ed said crossly. The man nodded, though continued to look alarmed. They exchanged money and tickets, and, in half an hour, the boys and their companion were on the way to Risembool.

Ed had laid the girl on the seat in front of them, the complementary pillow underneath her head and his coat draped over her ice cold body. He sat across from her on Al's side. Any sign of movement from her wouldn't escape his eyes.

"Have you thought about what Granny Pinako and Winry are going to say when we get there?" Al asked, careful to keep his voice low.

Ed turned, put his feet in Al's lap, and yawned widely before answering. "I'm sure that they'll be so glad to see us that they won't even mind. Don't sweat it."


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the one person that added my story to their favorites! I really appreciate it :) Now, for all my homies taking their midterm exams right around now, chapter two to cheer y'all up :) Enjoy!

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own my original characters and plot.

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><p>"ED, YOU MORON!" <em>Clunk.<em>

"What the hell, Winry?" Ed shrieked, rubbing the fresh bump on his head after her wrench she'd thrown made painful contact with it. "I thought you'd be glad to see me!"

"I'm never glad to see you!" she yelled in the doorway of the Rockbell residence. She adopted a burly, sarcastic voice. "I'm Edward Elric. I like to dump my problems on other people like Winry and have them solve them for me!"

"Winry?" Al piped up. He stood awkwardly behind Ed with the girl in his arms, inching up the porch towards the hostile blondes.

"I'm such a little pest to everyone!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE THAT THEY COULD SLAP A SADDLE ON A RABBIT AND RIDE IT?"

"Brother, she never said that."

"Stay out of this, Al!"

The fighting roused the girl and she began to squirm. Winry gasped; she'd just noticed that the boys brought a "visitor." "Get her inside," she urged, standing aside for the trio to enter.

They all followed her upstairs to the guest room and Al laid her on the bed. Her eyes fluttered open. With a cat-like shriek, she jumped up and clawed at the blankets, writhing in obvious panic. "Where am I?"

Pinako, at the sound of the girl's commotion, ran into the room as fast as her little legs would take her. When she arrived, she paused, looked at the scene, gave Ed a you-are-going0to-get-it-later look, and walked to the girl. "Hush there. Hush." She lightly set a hand on her arm, halting her movements. "My name is Pinako Rockbell. You can call my Granny Pinako."

The girl whimpered inaudibly and said, "I'm Sapphire."

"Now, now, why don't you rest now, Sapphire? These two boys brought you here, and I can assure you, you're always safe at the Rockbell house."

The girl nodded and looked towards where Granny's voice was coming from. She shivered in Ed's coat.

"I'll tuck you in, and bring you something to eat. It's too late to make anything hot and fresh, but how does bread and milk sound?" As she spoke, she motherly stroked Sapphire's hair. Sapphire nodded again, slipped off the coat, and let herself be tucked in.

Pinako ushered the three others out and after closing the door, said sternly, "Ed, you better hope I get an explanation soon."

Ed and Al watched as she walked down the hallway to the kitchen and returned with bread and milk. Ed gagged at the smell. Pinako closed the door behind her. Knowing that that was her way of asking for privacy, they left for the sitting room. It was silent, save for the soft hits of Winry intimidatingly tapping a wrench on her palm, glaring at Ed, and Al shifting and clanking on the couch. After what seemed like hours, Pinako appeared from upstairs. "She's asleep. Now, Ed. Would you care to explain?"

Al and Ed looked at each other before beginning. They took turns as they explained.

"And so I figured the best place to take her was here," Ed finished.

Pinako nodded thoughtfully. "Well, Edward, I don't think that was the best decision you've ever made, but this is the safest place to take her. However, I'll insist that you help me bring her back to health. I'm getting too old for this," she mumbled.

"Absolutely, I wouldn't just dump her and run off!" Ed exclaimed. "I'm not that kind of man!"

Winry leaned over to him and said sickly sweet, "I'm pretty sure there's a height requirement to call yourself a man."

"I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN!"

Al shook his head. Yes, they were home again.

_ "Come here, pumpkin." A flash of reading glasses and a warm smile beckoned her over._

_ "Yes, Papa!" The little kindergartener ran to her father. "Do you need help wit anodder expewiment?"_

_ Papa ran a big hand through his smooth black hair. His dark eyes darted over to a big mahogany table with a single piece of parchment on it. Unbeknownst to the little girl, who thought it was a doodle, on the parchment was a transmutation array._

_ "Now, Sapphire, I need you to go to my shelf and get me the chalk," Papa instructed. The toddler nodded and quickly collected the chalk._

_ Papa took the parchment and recreated the design on the floor with the chalk, making sweeping circles and small runes in various places. When he finished, he asked, "Now, I need the vials with the green, blue, white, and red labels, and the container of coal."_

_ Sapphire was so happy to help her father and laughed as she ran to the shelves. Standing on her tip toes, she grabbed the small vials and the bowl of coal. Her father took them from her. He sprinkled the powdery contents of the vials in several shapes and placed one piece of the coal in the very center of the whole array. _

_ "Papa, that drawing looks like a sun!" Sapphire said, pointing and smiling._

_ "Yes," her father said, grinning back at his daughter." "Now, Sapphire, I need you to go sit on the bench over there. It's time to start the experiment. Everything should go exactly as I calculated, but if it doesn't, I would rather you were out of the way. Can you do that for Papa?" Sapphire rushed to the bench on the other side of the room and sat with her hands folded in her lap. Maybe Papa will let me come with him when he goes to the city like he always does when his experiments work, she thought. And maybe I'll even get some ice cream! She straightened herself up unconsciously._

_ Papa kneeled and put his hands on the chalk array. At once, it began to glow cyan, not unlike a sapphire. A breeze picked up in the room._

_ "Yes!" her Papa exclaimed. "Yes! It's working!" The glow brightened more and more until Sapphire had to squint. No, she mustn't look away. She could miss the excitement!_

_ "What? No, no NO!" _

_ Her father started to wince, then squirm, in the blinding light, screaming for mercy, for death, for an end to the pain. Sapphire fell off the bench in fear, tried to get up, tried to tear her eyes away from her father writhing in agony in the array and the blinding light, oh God it was blinding her—_

Al sat by the windowsill, gazing forlornly at the moon. It was full tonight. A bat glided over the sky, an inky blot against the navy firmament. The crickets and frogs competed in a singing contest in the grasses. He noticed a fox dashing across the road. The night was crowded and alive.

Yet Al was so alone.

Sapphire woke up from her dream screaming into her pillow, the dark silhouette of her father against the light still etched in her mind. Home, Papa, the experiment, the dammed light—

No, she berated herself. The Rockbell's house, Pinako, safety. She wasn't five, she was fifteen. She was warm and safe in the Rockbell's guest rom.

Sapphire felt jittery, on edge. Looks like I won't be sleeping for the rest of the night, she thought glumly. Pulling the blankets off, she slipped out and tiptoed out of the room. A glass of warm milk seemed like ambrosia to her at that moment. Maybe it'd calm her nerves.

She ran a hand down the hallway towards the stairs, and almost didn't hear one of the doors creak open. She twisted around to listen better. There was a clank of something metallic against a doorway.

"Who are—"she started to scream before an ice cold hand clamped down on her mouth.

"Shh, it's me, Al!" she heard someone whisper. "Keep it down!"

Sapphire yanked the hand from her lips and squinted as angrily as she could towards the voice behind her. "Al...? It's, uh…dark in this hallway."

There was a hesitant pause before Al spoke. "Um, I know you can't see. You don't have to pretend."

She tensed in embarrassment. "Well, sorry." She turned away from him. "I'm gonna get milk. See you in the morning." She tried to take a step but Al's hand gently touched her arm.

"Why don't I get that for you? I can sit with you while you drink, too, if you don't want to be alone. Although if you _do _want to be alone, I understand," he added sadly.

Sapphire paused. Honestly, yes, she did want to be alone. But this _was_ one of the men that rescued her from the Emerald Alchemist. She should be a little polite.

"Sure. Just help me to the kitchen, uh…what was your name?"

"I'm Al." He placed a hand on her arm again and said, "The stairs are about four steps ahead. We'll take them one at a time. Ok?"

She squirmed uncomfortably under his touch and pulled away. "I think I'll just go back to bed." Quickly feeling the walls for her door, she nearly sprinted back down the hallway, into her room, and onto the bed, her heart pounding. There was no way she could handle people right now. After all that's happened in the past twelve hours.

And why was he still wearing that damned armor anyway?


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again everyone! Well, just because I'm doing everything I can to _not_ study for exams tomorrow and Friday, here is another chapter! Thanks again for all the reviews and views already! Well... for the three or four so far! I will admit this chapter is a tad shorter. The next will be nice and juicy, though. That will most likely be up tomorrow or Saturday at the latest.

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own Sapphire, the Emerald Alchemist, and my original ideas, plot, characters, blah blah blah!

One last thing: if you could please join the fight against SOPA and PIPA by signing petitions, calling your Congressperson, etc. Otherwise, we might not be able to watch anime for free online! .com/landing/takeaction/

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><p>Something warm and dry was being pressed onto Sapphire's forehead. She stirred slightly, still lost in a dream. Then, a delicious scent found its way to her nose. She opened her eyes—not that it made much of a difference—and sniffed for the origin of the smell.<p>

"Awake? Good, I'd begun to think you were going to sleep the day away!" a voice, the one belonging to Pinako, said. There was a rustle and a lapping of a liquid against a container. "Would you like some chicken noodle soup? I made it fresh."

Sapphire began to answer, but her stomach interrupted, growling almost comically loud. Pinako laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. Here, I'll set up the tray and you can have some." Sapphire pulled herself up into a sitting position as a heavy tray was put onto her lap. She tentatively felt for the edge of it and prodded until the cool spoon reached her fingers. She took a dip into the soup, blew, and took a sip.

Smiling quickly, she muttered, "It's good. Thanks."

"Oh, you're welcome, dear."

Sapphire continued to sip the soup, the warmth filling her entire body. Pinako continued to chat conversationally. "It's so nice to have guests here. It's a big house, with only my granddaughter and I. Sometimes it gets lonely. When Winry's parents, and the boys' parents, Trisha and Hohenheim, were around…" She sighed. "Those were the days."

Something sharp shot through Sapphire's stomach. She nearly dropped her spoon in pain, but gripped it until her knuckles turned white. "I…I think I'll have more soup later. I'm still pretty tired." She turned her head away to hide the tears that threatened to spill.

She felt Pinako stiffen and quickly compose herself. "Alrighty. Get some rest, sweetie. Everyone's so worried about you." The tray was lifted off of the bed and Pinako's footsteps faded.

Was it because of the emotional pain of hearing of other people's family? It felt so tangible, like a knife embedded in her abdomen.

Parents. _Family._

Ed glanced up from the kitchen table as Pinako approached. He stood quickly, nearly knocking over his glass of water all over the spread of notes he was studying. "How is she?"

"Sit down, Edward," Pinako said wearily. "She went back to bed. She's been through so much. I can tell."

Ed's face slowly changed from worried, brows furrowed and lips pursed, to stoic. She _has _been through so much, he thought, sitting back down next to Al. Trapped as the Emerald Alchemist's prisoner, and by the looks of her scars, done horrible things to. Not to mention her tattoos. He treated her as some piece of parchment for his research. How easy is it to tear parchment, to throw it away?

"You know you need to tell Colonel Mustang," Pinako said, breaking his train of thought.

"I know. I just can't."

"She'd be fine under military care, Edw—"

"But she's fine under my—er—our care!" Ed burst out, jumping up again and consequently overturning the glass of water. "Shit!" He clapped, slammed his hands into the puddle of soggy papers, and the water evaporated in a cloud of steam. "Why can't she stay here?"

Al finally piped up. "Brother, you were the one that taught me to go forward and not backward. I trust Colonel Mustang."

"Not that bastard. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"I can probably throw him pretty far," Al joked.

Ed pushed his chair back with a sudden screech and sullenly walked around the table, fiddling with a corner of one of the pages. What good would telling Colonel Bastard do? What did he ever do to protect anyone? Clawing his way up the military hierarchy, not caring who got hurt in his way… The girl would be taken into military custody and get lost in the bureaucracy or some foster care. Ed wouldn't let that happen to a helpless girl. Plus, she's too beautiful to give up so easily, something inside him added. He shook his bangs out of his golden eyes. "Pinako, I promise I'll tell Mustang, but let's let her recuperate here for a while, OK? Please," he begged, clapping his hands together dramatically and looking down at the woman.

Of course he wouldn't tell him. He needed to buy time to formulate a plan, to figure things out.

He wouldn't give her up just yet.

Ed suddenly rushed past Pinako, mumbling something about a hot shower. Al and Pinako both shook their heads.

"Nina?" she said simply, but nonetheless wisely.

"Yeah."

Sapphire had remained laying on her side after Pinako left, eyes wide and unseeing but her chest tight and paining. _Parents…_

There was a soft knock at the door. Feigning sleep, Sapphire closed her eyes and willed her breathing to relax. The door groaned open. Footsteps, the step-clank ones that she recognized from the night she was rescued, approached the bed she vacated. Another squeak rang as a chair was dragged across the room—long, drawn-out, and very loud.

"Damn," someone whispered. "I was trying to be quiet." The person sat with a _flump. _"Well, I think you've sleeping. But…well, either way, I… Listen, I don't know what you've been through, what's happened to you, what hell you've endured. I wish I did so I could give that alchemist a piece of my mind. Hopefully you want to tell me someday." There was a rustling, like someone running a hand through their hair. "Gah! I'm sorry. I should just let you rest. But before I go—Sapphire, I give you my word that I'll protect you from anything else bad. I swear it. Um, so have a nice nap, I guess." The chair screamed one last time and the person left.

He'd protect her?

She figured it was about fifteen minutes later when she finally got up and cautiously felt her way to the stairs. _I swear it._ There had been something in his voice when he said that. _I swear it._He'd wavered alarmingly and gulped, as if he were trying to fight back tears. Well, she didn't need protecting.

Wasn't there a handrail right about…here? Grasping the rail tightly, she toed each step, counting for the trip up. The sixteenth step sounded solid, less hollow than the wooden stairs. But where was the kitchen?

"H-hello?" she called up, jumping at how her hoarse voice echoed off the walls.

"Hi there!" a young, metallic voice said from the left of her. It was the boy in the armor, Al. "You're awake!"

"Um, yeah." A shiver wracked her body. This was the first time she'd been out of the warm covers.

"Oh, you must be cold! Wait right here, I'll get Winry to bring some of her clothes for you."

"Wait!" she cried out as he stomped upstairs, leaving her alone once more. In moments, however, he came bounding back down with another set of lighter footsteps.

"Hi, Sapphire!" a girl's voice said. "We haven't officially met. I'm Winry. I know you've met my grandmother, Pinako."

"Hi," Sapphire responded without energy.

"Would you like me to walk you to the restroom so you can change?"

"Sure." Winry grabbed her hand and yanked her off in a direction.

"Here you go!" she said sunnily. "I brought you the smallest stuff I could find. You look like a couple sizes smaller than me." A pile of soft clothes were dumped into Sapphire's arms. "Go ahead!"

Sapphire went into the bathroom and changed. The new clothes felt so soft on her skin, rather than the rags she had before. Before she left, she took one last feel of them. They were unbelievably tattered, ripped everywhere, and fell apart at her touch. She _had _been wearing them for nearly a year straight.

When she left, she heard conversations coming from the right and followed them. She entered what must have been the kitchen. Every voice halted, some in the middle of their sentences, at her arrival. Even a dog's bark greeted her.

"Hi again!"

"How are the clothes? They look like they fit!"

"Hey."

"Hello dear!"

So many people… her heart started beating wildly, sweat forming on her upper lip. "Um… could someone tell me…I think I'd like a shower or a bath." Anything to get out of there, to be alone again.

"Sure, Sapphire! I'll show you. It's upstairs and the second door on the left, for future reference." There was a sound like Winry was getting up from a table, but before she stood completely, Sapphire rushed back up the stairs, counting to sixteen, and to the right door.

She nearly tore her clothes off, felt wildly for the tub and up for a shower head, started the water, jumped in, and sat, hugging her knees. What the hell was wrong with her? Running off from the people that saved her and let her stay in their home.

But the way they seemed like such a family, all sitting around the kitchen table. An image formed in her mind of her Papa, his brother, herself, and their dog all around their kitchen table, laughing and talking about something meaningless yet still important, her father and brother clapping each other on the back. She couldn't even remember the goddam dog's name, it's been so long.

"Papa…" she whispered, the icy water washing her tears away.


	4. Chapter 4

I lied. Instead of tomorrow, here's the next chapter! I'm hyped up on sugar and caffeine to help me study and I thought I'd type this up real quick. It's not long, though, so I lied about that too! My apologies.

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I own my original characters, ideas, and plots.

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><p>Most people know that when one becomes blind, their other senses, mainly hearing, become enhanced. It's called sensory compensation because they compensate for the lack of sight as the visual cortex in the brain gets turned over to new purposes, as it doesn't have any visual input to work with. While those that are blind can't see, they can still hear, feel, and can navigate themselves in a room. Even the sense of day versus night and close versus far are found in the seeing-impaired. But for one that went ten years without access to many other senses, it could render them blind in other ways.<p>

The Emerald Alchemist kept his station in a basement room deep within the warehouse for a reason: to keep his prisoner in the dark. No crickets alerted Sapphire of night, no drop in temperature on her skin told her of sunset, no wormy smell relayed a passing storm. She never had any clue of the time or the weather outside.

So, it's not hard to see why she felt so unnerved and distracted in her freedom.

Especially the nights. During the day, she could walk and talk and have other things to occupy her attention. (Not that she wanted to talk to anyone or do anything.) But when she was a prisoner, she fell asleep to no sound, no stimulation whatsoever. Now, her ears were under the constant attack of crickets, owls, mice, winds, creaks, squeaks—

And she would _feel_ the coarse pillow underneath her head, swishing her hair around her ears; the bulky quilt against her skin; her weight pressing down against the mattress.

Smells: soap, grease, metals, all different kinds of foods that would waft up from downstairs mockingly.

It'd be like trying to sleep while looking through a kaleidoscope, being prodded mercilessly, listing to a marching band play next to the bed, and having an all-you-can-eat buffet laid out underneath one's nose.

Even if she _could_ sleep, it's not as if she wanted to. Every damn minute of sleep was filled to the brim with nightmares, and always either of her father dying or the Emerald Alchemist hunched over her, syringe or beaker in hand, lunging towards her—

This night, at the distant chiming of midnight from the clock downstairs, Sapphire got out of bed and left her room. This time, she almost didn't need to rely on feeling the walls; eighteen steps from the door to the stairs, fourteen steps on the stairs, twenty to the kitchen, ten to the door outside.

As she silently counted in the hallway, a voice stopped her like she'd walked into a brick wall.

"Awake again?" It was Al, the boy of armor.

"Yeah. You too."

"Yep! Me too!" There was a pause, and then he said, "Were you on your way somewhere?"

Why does he care? she thought. "I'm going on a walk."

"May I come with you?"

"Why not." Instead of placing a hand on him for direction, she lead the way down and out of the house.

If it wasn't so frightening to find out the nights were so alive, she would've relished nighttime. A foot out the door and a cool breeze rustled her hair, playfully bringing with it a chorus of chirping, hooting, and squealing. Sapphire paused, but only momentarily.

* * *

><p>If he had a mouth, Al knew he'd be grinning from ear to ear. It was a giddy kind of joy that little kids felt when they find out that after an eternal wait, they were finally going to get ice cream. It was also relief, though, the kind that one feels when the largest occasion they've ever dreaded is cancelled. Al wouldn't be spending another sleepless night alone.<p>

He trailed behind Sapphire, offering her enough space but still trying to be close. Maybe she'll want to talk tonight, he thought, his excitement growing.

"Al, right?"

"Yep!"

She became silent. The duo stomped through the grasses. Turning deftly, she began to follow the road. Likewise, Al followed her.

"Thanks," she struggled to say.

"For what?" Al asked, surprised.

"Saving me."

"Hey, no trouble at all! It's what me and brother do!" Al said, waving his hands in protest of the thanks.

"I…I just didn't think anyone would come."

Al sped up to march along beside her. "Well, it's all in the past now, isn't it?" he chirped. "There's no need to worry anymore."

"It will _never_ be in the past."

Al glanced down at Sapphire, stopped in the watery moonlight. Her face looked as pale as ever, but darkness passed over it. "It will always haunt me for the rest of my life. I'll never be able to escape it…him."

Well, that sounds familiar, Al thought cynically. "I know the feeling."

She spun towards him and glared at his chest. "You will _never _know how I feel…what he did to me…what I saw there! If you saw what I was forced to do and to watch, you'd go insane!"

Al jumped back with a clank at her outburst. "Sapphire, don't be so quick to judge. You don't know what I've been through either. Brother and I have seen Hell, we've been there, and we had something dear taken from each of us that we think we might never get back. I have memories that will never leave me alone. I have regrets that I will never stop feeling. I know how you feel."

Al waited. Sapphire remained as immobile as a marble statue, but something in her eyes changing. They filled with tears. He thought they looked like two gems, reflecting the moonlight in a thousand different directions. She choked out a cry and fell into his arms. "I want my Papa!" she sobbed.

Al stroked her hair tenderly. No, he thought, I don't know how you feel.

* * *

><p>Hawkeye was striding down the hallways at Central to the restroom when the sound of a small explosion caught her attention. Southward, she mused, not terribly concerned. The Colonel's office. He'd been feeling…hot-tempered…ever since the incident with the Emerald Alchemist a week ago, and fireballs (or explosions, as of now) weren't too uncommon for him when he was angry.<p>

Just in case, she headed towards his office.

Smoke twirled out from beneath the door. She moved to knock, but, fearing that the door would be scorching to the touch, kicked it open instead. Mustang sat with his head in his hands. A towering pile of ashes sat on his desk, still glowing red and smoking.

"Sir?" Hawkeye offered.

"Fullmetal is going to get it."

"Why do you say that, sir?"

"Do you know what I could charge him with? Obstruction of justice, withholding evidence, aiding a criminal, kidnapping—"

"Sir, I know why you're upset. But if you kill Edward, you'll have an awful lot of paperwork on your hands."

"Lieutenant, with all due respect, you don't know why I'm upset."

Hawkeye's eyes turned soft with sympathy as she looked at him, and then a small silver picture frame on his desk, unscathed by his fiery attack. "Alright sir, I don't."

Mustang looked up through his eyebrows at the blond Lieutenant before him. "Lieutenant, get my team. We're going to take a little train ride to Risembool."


	5. Chapter 5

_Well, I know I said Saturday morning, I even woke up at 8:30 to get a head start on typing it up, but I wanted to paint my nails, I'm sorry! Don't get Armstrong to beat me up! I'm only a few hours late. Here it is, guys!_

_Many thanks to those that read, review, add to favorites, and subscribe! _

_I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own Sapphire, the Emerald Alchemist, and all other original ideas, plots characters, blahh de blah blah here's the next chapter!_

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><p>Warm sunlight poured through Sapphire's window as she awake. Her head throbbed. What happened last night? She wondered as she wobbily got up, feeling her way to the door. She faintly remembered being carried inside.<p>

She heard footsteps: _pat, clank pat, clank._ It was the smaller guy—what was his name? Ed?—coming up the stairs. Sapphire opened the door to her bedroom and took a step out.

"Hey! Didn't see you there!" Ed said cheerfully. He gasped. "Oh, shit, I didn't mean that—I just—sorry!" He continued to stammer out apologies.

Sapphire almost laughed, but smiled shyly instead. What a clown. "It's fine. Ed, right?"

"Yeah, that's me!"

"Don't worry about it. Being blind is…it's not news to me."

"Well, I'm still sorry I put my foot in my mouth. Hey, it's nearly one. You want some lunch?" I can get Winry to make us some sandwiches."

Faintly from downstairs, Sapphire heard Winry yell, "In your dreams, lazy! Grandma, Al and I are going into town anyway!" There was the bang of a door being slammed.

Ed chuckled. "I guess we're home alone. What do you like on your sandwich?"

"Erm…" What went on a sandwich? When she was prisoner, the Emerald Alchemist only fed her sickening, mushy stuff. And the "medicine." At the memory of being shoved to the floor and force fed that poison every day, an excruciating pain ripped through her stomach. It took all of her willpower to keep a calm look on her face. "I'll have whatever you have."

"Are you alright?" Ed asked, his voice tightening with concern. "You look pale. Dammit, sorry!"

"Can you help me to the kitchen?"

"Absolutely!" Ed wrapped an arm around her waist, and unintentionally, she sank into the embrace. They took the steps downstairs and to the kitchen. "Here's a chair right behind you." Ed's arm slipped away, the sudden absence of his warm arm uncomfortable. She heard the squeak of a chair sliding across tile and sat.

She heard him rustle and bang around in the kitchen, drawers slamming, silverware clinking, cupboards shutting. Then, a plate slid towards her.

"Here you go! Turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and my secret ingredient."

"What's the secret ingredient?" she asked cautiously.

"Take a bite and find out," he answered playfully.

She allowed herself a chuckle. "I might be afraid to eat it now."

"No way! Here, watch me, I'll take a bite of mine and you'll see there's nothing wrong. GODDAMMIT!" he screeched. "I'm sorry, I'm so stupid, me talking about seeing—"

Her chuckle turned into a full-fledged laugh. This kid was really comical. "It's alright!" she said in between laughs. "Really. I know you don't mean it." The humor of the situation seemed to raze her bashfulness and adversity to talk.

"I'm such an idiot!"

Sapphire turned towards his voice and smiled. "No, you're not. Please relax. And fine, I'll try your sandwich." She picked it up, sniffed—it smelled delicious—and took a bite. Tastes and textures flooded her mouth. She managed to sputter, "It's good!" between ravenous bites.

Ed chortled, probably muffled by his own sandwich. As the two's giggles died off, a crazed pounding filled the air: frantic, explosive knocking at the kitchen door, like whoever it was was trying to break it down. Ed jumped up with a bang and gasped. "Oh, hell!"

* * *

><p>The Colonel knows. He knows and he's going to kill me.<p>

Ed briefly noticed Sapphire run away as he lunged to lock the door, but it was too late—it burst open to reveal Mustang slipping his gloves on, his team behind him. They were visibly armed. He transmuted his automail into a blade, but in mere moments, Mustang charged. The next second caught the duo tangled, Ed's blade at Roy's throat, one of Mustang's hands clenched at the boy's collar, and the other poised to snap his fingers.

"Let me go, you pompous shit!" Ed shrieked, his voice jumping an octave.

"You know what I could charge you with, Fullmetal?" Mustang roared, spittle flying into his face. "Obstruction of justice, withholding evidence, aiding a criminal, _kidnapping—_"

"I didn't think—"

Mustang released Ed, sending him sprawling to the floor. "No, Fullmetal. You didn't think."

Ed popped up with his scarlet face twisted in anger. "Why are you so freaking pissed, anyway? What does she matter to you?"

Mustang's cold face drooped at Ed's words. He took a step back, eyes on Ed's. "What does she matter to me?" he repeated emptily. "Well, Fullmetal." Mustang reached into his breast pocket, causing Ed to flinch, but only pulled out a small silver picture frame. He offered it to Ed, who cocked an eyebrow but looked at the encased picture.

In it were a younger-looking Mustang, a man that looked curiously like him—the same black hair, dark eyes, thick eyelashes, and petite chin—and a toddler with bright blue eyes and long raven hair. "That man…" Ed started. "He looks a lot like you."

"It's my brother, Kenny. Ten years ago, he died during an element transmutation. That night, the Emerald Alchemist resigned, and both him and my niece, _Sapphire,_ disappeared." Ed gritted his teeth. His niece? That explains so much, he thought bitterly.

Mustang dug into another pocket and retrieved a small, broken silver bracelet with small blue jewels embedded in swirling patterns in it. "My brother gave her this bracelet on her fifth birthday. If you were wondering how I knew she was there at the lab, and I can see it in your eyes that you were, this is how. I found her bracelet on the floor of a cell.

"Also, you're a shitty liar, Fullmetal.

"So, I hope you understand why I wanted her to be there at the lab so badly. And I hope you understand this."

Then, the Flame Alchemist swung his fist into Ed's face.

An explosion of pain wracked Ed's face, and he quickly turned back with watery eyes and a bloody nose. "OK," he mumbled. "I understand that, but you didn't have to hit so hard!"

Mustang scowled at that. "Where is she?" he said coldly.

Ed tensed, remembering her escape earlier. "I…well, the thing is—"

Mustang moved as to grab Ed's throat again, so he threw his hands up in apologetic defense. "She got scared when she heard people at the door and ran off."

Spinning to face his men, the Colonel ordered, "Search the house."

Fuery took a timid step from behind the group and squeaked, "Sir?"

"What is it, Fuery?"

"I just saw a dark-haired girl run towards the hills over there."

Mustang clenched his fists and bellowed. "Well, don't just stand there!" Ed watched as the group sprinted out of the kitchen and veered off towards the hills in the west, leaving the house silent once more.

Wait, he realized stupidly, I should probably follow them.

And Ed careened off after them.

* * *

><p>"Oh, hell!"<p>

Sapphire had frozen in fear at the angry knocking at the door, but when Ed cried out, she dropped her food and ran. Whoever it was (please don't be him) did not sound happy.

She slid her hands over the walls as she ran through the house, heart pounding, desperately trying to pull up a mental map to see where the front door was, to escape, to get out, to—

Nineteen, four left, an umbrella stand was to the right—yes, there was the blessed door—she yanked on the doorknob until the door swung in and burst out onto the porch. She started running straight ahead, because honestly, she couldn't remember where the road was in relation to the front door. She'd only ever taken the kitchen door.

For a while, the ground was mainly flat, both level and smooth underneath her shoes, but it started an incline upwards, and became rougher. A hill? Sapphire wondered. Didn't matter, keep running (away from him).

It had been an animalistic instinct to run—fight or flight—but there was a reason she was so frightened at the sound of the knocking. She just didn't want to think about it. (She could never escape him.)

No! Just run! She ordered herself.

Soon, distant voice became audible behind her. There were unrecognizable but still sounded ill-intentioned. "Sapphire!" "Stop!" "Slow down!"

The hill suddenly crested and began to slope down, and the change caused her to trip, her hands flying out to catch herself, and she landed.

Something not unlike static electricity crackled around her head, and she felt pebbles start to pelt her skin as they bounced against the ground. In fact, the entire ground itself was vibrating, shaking. Earthquake? She wondered idly. Then, as if a train was passing by right behind, a roar, tearing the air apart, along with her sensitive eardrums. Were those screams behind? Sapphire didn't want to wait to find out. She struggled up, tremors still trying to pull her down, and took off down the hill.

Soon, her legs wobbled and she collapsed, gasping and clutching her chest. When she could hear her surroundings over the pounding of her heart, she listened. The voices were gone. So was the roaring. In fact, all of the sounds of the fields and hills—grasshoppers, foxes, breezes—were imperceptible. New animal noises replaced the lost ones: scarier-sounding birds with low calls, rodent-like chattering, and a low, muffled snorting. In fact, the entire place felt and smelled different. The sun wasn't warming her skin, the air smelled more like soil than grasses, and noises sounded contained, rather than expanding limitlessly in the open fields.

Sapphire slowly got up and stretched her arms in front of her, taking a cautious step. In eight, her hands met something upright, wide, rough and cool. She turned ninety degrees and, walking quicker, met another thing like the first. Another turn, another few steps, another meeting. They were all trees.

Her heart nearly stopped as she realized how far from the house she'd really run.


	6. Chapter 6

**Short chapter as a warning: rate and review, or the chapters get shorter and shorter! Mwahaha! No really, if I get a few more reviews, I'll do a 2,500 word chapter. Do we got a deal?**

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist but I do claim the Emerald Alchemist, Sapphire Mustang, and all original ideas and plots, blahh de blah blah. **

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><p>The group was chasing Sapphire Mustang, niece of Colonel Roy Mustang and daughter of Kenny Mustang, over the fields of swaying weeds, towards the rolling hills and the forest far ahead. Mustang led them, followed by his subordinates and Ed far behind, yelling something along the lines of, "Wait for me, you bastard!"<p>

They were catching up enough for her to hear them yelling her name. Mustang even added, "I'm your uncle!" but she never slowed.

Ed watched as she reached the peak of the hill she was on and went tumbling down, possibly injuring herself. Oh, he'd be _so_ pissed if she got hurt because Colonel Bastard Asshole Idiot here decided to break into the house and scare her. As she hit the ground he saw, even from this distance, blue alchemic energy crackle and burst from her hands. Right where Mustang was, the earth began to swell like a balloon, rising higher and higher into the sky. It formed a wave-like structure. Promptly, it tossed the man into the air like a rag doll. Ed watched in horror as all of this happened, then finally, clapped, slammed his palms on the ground, and pulled up a giant earthen mitt to catch him. When he landed, Ed sunk it back into the earth and went to go help Mustang up. He had other thought, though.

"Why did you stop me?" Mustang growled.

"What do you mean?"

"The wave of dirt! That…wasn't you?"

Ed was confused for a moment, but then realized: someone had used alchemy on that wave of dirt to separate Sapphire and her pursuers. "No," he said slowly. "It wasn't me. And if it wasn't me, and it probably wasn't Major Armstrong—"who, speaking of which, was missing his shirt, "—then who was it?"

Mustang looked up the hill wistfully. "My brother didn't teach her alchemy. He preferred that she didn't begin learning until she was old enough to understand the consequences that could ensue."

Ed remembered when he first carried her out of the lab. She had seemed so frail, unhealthily thin, hair limp and dirty, countless scars and those tattoos besmirching her white skin.

The tattoos!

"Colonel," Ed said quickly, "she had alchemic tattoos all over her arms and body. Those must give her the ability to do alchemy!"

Mustang's eyes widened slightly as he took in the information. "Tattoos? The Emerald Alchemist _tattooed _her?" Then his eyes squinted in anger.

"Are we still going to go after her?" Ed asked. Mustang shook his head. "She'll realize everything's OK and come back. But for now, I think I'll pay a visit to the Emerald Alchemist in his cell at the prison."

Was the colonel stupid? Ed thought. "Colonel, she can't find her way back. She's blind."

Mustang's eyes nearly popped out of his eyes in obvious shock. "B-blind?" he stuttered.

"You mean she hasn't been blind since birth?"

"She's blind?"

"Yeah, she is."

Mustang remained frozen in place for what seemed like an uncomfortably long time, then turned towards another distant hill, bellowed, snapped, and threw a beach-ball sized fireball at it. It soared through the air and landed with a decently large explosion. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! Men, please, go and find her. Armstrong, Hawkeye: you two are coming with me to talk to the Emerald Alchemist."

Ed looked over the hill, torn. One part of him told him to go look for her with everyone else. She'd come to your voice, something in him urged. Don't you want to find her, hold her, tell her everything is alright? Another part of him kind of wanted to travel to the prison with Mustang and beat the holy hell out of the alchemist, just because he wanted to.

As if he were reading the boy's mind, Mustang said to Ed, "I trust that they'll find her. My team's an intelligent bunch. I can tell that you want to see him as much as I do."

Ed nodded. "Yeah, let's go talk to that bastard."

As he, Mustang, Armstrong, and Hawkeye walked the long distance back to the house, he didn't notice Mustang look back over his shoulder towards the edge of the vast woods, whispering something.

"I'll come back and protect you. I swear it."

* * *

><p>The ticking of Lust's heels echoed in the cavernous room as she walked, hips swinging towards the robed figure. He sat on a throne and straightened as the Homunculus approached. "Hello Lust! Thank you for coming so quickly."<p>

"It's no trouble at all, Father," she replied silkily, tossing back her thick hair.

"I have a small assignment for you. I thought it'd be best because you are the only female among us. You know that I have Envy doing some spy work on the good Colonel Mustang for me. Well, do you remember our good friend Emeril Langley?"

"The Emerald Alchemist? Yes, but he disappeared a decade ago, didn't he?"

"Indeed he did. Well, he's back and in prison, do you remember he had an interest in Colonel Mustang's niece?"

"Yes."

"She's shown up too. Apparently, she was held captive by him. As you can imagine, someone who is a prisoner for a long period of time can learn a lot about their captors. So, I need you to find her and bring her here. There's a catch, though."

Lust chuckled throatily. "Isn't there always?"

"The catch is she's run off into the woods near Risembool. The poor dear is blind and is probably getting more and more lost by the minute."

"What about Gluttony? He gets depressed if we're separated for too long."

Father thought about it for a moment. "He might scare her."

"Well, I'm sure he could help sniff her out."

"Alright then. Make sure he's well fed. We don't want the girl getting eaten, after all."


	7. Chapter 7

**2,600 words exactly...you're welcome! It only took me forever. It's been a busy week. Review please, I love the feedback from you guys!**

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own Sapphire Mustang, Kenny Mustang, the Emerald Alchemist, and all original stuff blah blah blah.**

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><p>By the time he turned twenty, Ed was sure he was going to detest trains. Scratch that; he hated train already. Was there really no other mode of transportation besides locomotives, cars, and horses? Why hasn't someone invented some kind of high-speed flying machine? The birds had flying down pat. Maybe, if someone would just design a structure like a bird, with big wings, and put a couple engines on each side…<p>

He would even accept a faster, smoother train with more wiggle room. It was one thing to share a compartment with his brother, albeit he was a giant walking suit of armor, but it was a whole other ballpark to share a compartment with three other people. Especially when one of those people is the man he despised most.

Ed, Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Hawkeye, and Major Armstrong had caught the very next train (leaving forty-five seconds after arrival at the station) to Central, where the military prison was located. From what Mustang had told Ed so far, the Emerald Alchemist hadn't been talking—at all. He assumed that the Lieutenant and Major were tagging along to help interrogate him. Just look at Armstrong; one glance at him could make the most tight-lipped squeal. Although, Hawkeye could be pretty intimidating when she wanted to be. This was basically all the time.

Ed yawned and lifted his legs as to lay them on Mustang's lap, who scowled at him. Ed turned red and leaned against the wall instead, closing his eyes. Whoops. It was almost automatic of him to lean on Al, or put his feet on him on long train rides.

"Wake up, Fullmetal," said Mustang curtly. "As I was saying, if we can get him to talk, I get to question him first. It'll probably just be about his research on the Philosopher's Stone before and after his resignation. But after I get that done…" Mustang looked out the window but didn't finish.

Hawkeye informally patted his knee as best she could with Armstrong slumped on her, deep asleep. "Sir, you do what you need to. Alexander and I can always…look the other way." Ed noticed that she said that last half of her sentence knowingly, and met Mustang's gaze. They shared a less-than-formal look, one of good friends or close family.

"Well, wait," said Ed indignantly, "don't I get to interrogate him too? I'm the one who did the assignment and apprehended him."

Mustang broke away from his look to glare at the boy. "Yes, but it's neither your place nor role to interrogate prisoners. You didn't even complete the assignment."

"What?"

"You didn't bring Sapphire to me!"

"All _you_ said was find her—"

"Yes, not _kidnap_ my niece!"

"It's not like I knew she was your niece!"

"Be that as it may, you disobeyed an order!"

There was a soft rustling, and the two, noses nearly touching and screaming, turned to look at Hawkeye. The rustling had been her shifting to put a hand on her holster with blue eyes narrowed dangerously. The two fighters slid away from one another and, comically mirroring each other, crossed their arms, huffed, and shook bangs out of their eyes. After a moment and a long tension-filled silence, Armstrong wriggled in his sleep and mumbled, "No, Olivier, don't hit me again."

They reached central just as dusk was settling over the city. From what Ed could distinguish from Mustang's ranting over Armstrong's storing on the train, the prison was near the northern sector of the city. Without delay, Mustang called for a black military call, and they piled in (Armstrong with some difficulty).

Because he was a Colonel, Mustang explained on the way, Ed could go into the high-security prison, but was dismayed to find out that his title of State Alchemist was inadequate to gain a visit by himself. In other words, he couldn't come back to beat the living tar out of the alchemist.

At the front desk of the prison, Mustang flashed his pocket watch and said, "Colonel Roy Mustang, State Alchemist. I'd like to speak with the Emerald Alchemist, Emeril Langley."

"Will these three be joining you?" the burly attendant barked back at him.

"Yes."

"Was there an interrogation meeting scheduled?"

"Well, no but…I'm a Colonel," Mustang finished lamely.

"Very well. Go through that door." He pressed a button on a switchboard, igniting a light and buzzer and opening a door to their left. As they trooped through, a guard came, nodded to Mustang, and led them to the cell.

They passed dozens of guards and hundreds of cells until the designated cell door appeared. Looking it over, Ed realized that it was a foot thick. The guard punched a passcode in the pad on the wall and the door swung inward.

A thin figure sat hunched in the dark corner, his green tattoos bright against the orange prison jumpsuit. His beard and hair were even longer and more knotted than when Ed saw him last. A quick glance around the room showed Ed two security cameras, a thin mattress, and a revolting-looking toilet.

The figure stood up and bowed mockingly. "Why hello, Colonel! So nice to see you once again. And you…" The Emerald Alchemist squinted at Ed, cocking his head. "You're the little boy who broke into my lab."

Ed lunged at him, but was held back by Armstrong. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE HE'D BE MISTAKEN FOR A FIRST GRADER?"

"Fullmetal, calm down," Mustang ordered. Ed huffed but pulled back and crossed his arms like a child.

The guard turned to Mustang. "To the Interrogation Room?"

"Yes please."

The guard roughly slapped handcuffs on the prisoner and they all walked out to the room.

"I'm going in with him first," Mustang said. "Hawkeye, when I call you, you come. Then, if he still doesn't talk, Armstrong."

"Sir!" the two said, saluting.

"What about meeee?" Ed whined. Mustang didn't even bother to answer him as he went into the little room with the guard and alchemist, while the other three stayed behind the one-way glass.

"I'm going to get right to the subject," Ed heard Mustang's voice from a speaker. "Did you succeed at making a Philosopher's Stone?"

"I don't know!" Langley sang gaily.

"Did you take information from the National Central Library to aid you in your own personal research?"

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"Did you know that the girl you kidnapped ten years ago was Sapphire Mustang?"

"Oh, was she?"

Ed could see that Mustang, who was usually the epitome of coolness, was shaking with wrath already when he didn't get an answer about his niece. He had such a parental protectiveness of her, despite not being her actual father or seeing her for a decade. It was admirable.

"Perhapsss!"

"Did you blind her?"

"That I can honestly say I did not do."

"Don't you fucking lie to me," Mustang snarled.

"I'm not!"

Mustang spun to face the wall, his hand covering his eyes to prevent his company from seeing his frustrated tears.

"I know she's run off."

Mustang flew back and got right in Langley's face. "How do you know that?"

"It's odd that you would leave her in the middle of the wilderness when she's blind. Also that you've not asked about any of the experiments I performed on her. Long story short, I know exactly where and how she's feeling, down to the last centimeter and tear. So, I'd like to make a little deal with you, Colonel. If you drop all the charges against me, I'll lead you right to her and quietly be on my way."

"Absolutely not."

"Oh really? Let's see…" The rogue alchemist tipped back in his chair, grinning madly and looking upward as if concentrating on something. "She is reaching out towards a tree right now, in a forest, and she's panicking, and she's feeling her way deeper into the woods because she's blind. She knows she can't find the way out but she's trying anyway. What a stupid girl."

Mustang tore his hand back as if he was willing it to go the other way and not strangle the man in front of him. "Fine," he gasped. "Fine! I'll get you a pardon and I'll let you go Scott-free to do whatever sick things you want to do. Just take me to her!"

Ed put an arm up on the glass and leaned against it, fascinated at the show in front of him: Mustang losing control over logical thinking and going with his paternal emotions.

Then he realized that the vile alchemist was getting away without any punishment.

"What's done is done, Fullmetal."

"You're just letting him go? What kind of deal is that?"

"He knows where she is."

"He needs twenty-five to life! Or a death sentence!"

Mustang and Ed were arguing the next day as he filled out the necessary paperwork to gain custody of the prisoner. They would worry about the paperwork to get a pardon from the Fuhrer after they had her safe.

"Fullmetal, I think that as a Colonel, I'd know a bit more about making deals with criminals than you. You're just a kid. You wouldn't understand."

"Just a kid?" Ed yelped, his anger rising in his throat. "I'm fifteen!"

"A mere child."

Ed stared daggers at the man. A child, huh? This was a child we were trying to find, he thought. Well, she's fifteen too, but she was the child of Mustang's brother, and he obviously loved her very much. Where was that paternal love now?

"Don't you want to strangle him with your bare hands?" Ed said quietly as Mustang signed the last page and turned the paperwork in at the front desk. "Don't you want to see the man who probably tortured your niece die slowly and painfully? Al's told me she was up every night either going outside to cry or, if she did sleep, which wasn't very often, wake up from violent nightmares screaming 'Papa' or 'Leave me alone.' Don't you want to murder him"

Mustang didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to the window and stared out, no emotion escaping his passive face. To be honest, Ed didn't expect a reply from that bastard.

Ed sighed. "I should probably call Al and let him know I'm coming home." He went to the pay phone to make the call, leaving Mustang at the window, alone with his thoughts.

It was dark out. It was the kind of dark night where anything and everything came out at one at once, both from the shadows of the alleyways and the shadows of the minds. Mustang suddenly thought of the last time he spoke to his brother and niece.

_"Yeah, Roy, I think we should go to the P-A-R-K!" Kenny spelled teasingly, smiling at his daughter but winking at his brother._

_ "No fair, Papa! I can't spell!" Sapphire pouted, stamping her foot on the kitchen floor. _

_ "Try," her father urged. "Like we've been practicing."_

_ "Pee, Ay… Pa… Like Papa!"_

_ "Yes, dear. You're halfway done!"_

_ "Pa… Arr… Kay. Parkay? Park! The park, the park, the park!" she suddenly cried, her blue eyes lighting up in joy._

_ Her father and even Roy laughed as she twirled around the kitchen, her skirt and hair arcing out, sing "Park, park, park!"_

_ "Well, don't just stand there! Hop on board the Papa Express!" He picked her up and swung her onto his shoulders, and the little family trekked outside and down the street._

_ As soon as they arrived, she squirmed down and sped off towards the slides, leaving the chuckling brothers to sit and keep vigil._

_ "I marvel at your ability to parent such a ball of energy," Roy said. "I'd never be able to do it._

_ "Oh, lord, I know you wouldn't! You'd collapse crying within seconds if you ever had to babysit her!" His eyes crinkled, with humor, began to dull. "It's pretty hard being a single parent. I wish more than anything that Elena was still around. Sometimes I don't think I'm doing such a great job by myself."_

_ Roy's heart went out for his brother, who still grieved for his wife these five years after her death. He gripped his brother's shoulder encouragingly. "We all miss her, Kenny."_

_ "Sapphire doesn't."_

_ "Isn't that a good thing?"_

_ "I…just want her to know what having a mother is like."_

_ Don't we all? Roy wondered. He and his brother grew up in the care of Madame Christmas, who, although she technically filled the role, hadn't been exactly "motherly" towards the brothers. He knew that when Kenny and Elena found out they were pregnant, Kenny had nearly died with joy because he had the chance to give his child something he never had._

_ Roy had to admit for being a young, single parent, Kenny wasn't doing such a bad job. Sapphire was happy, bright, and healthy. What else could a dad want? Shouldering Sapphire, cleaning, bulls, and his element research for the university were all taking a toll on him, though. Roy tried to be there as much as he could, but he himself had obligations to attend to._

_ The brothers chatted about lighter things after Kenny emerged from his gloom. When the sun finally lowered in the sky, hovering over the tops of the trees and casting them all in a golden glow, Kenny called over to his daughter. "Sapphire, it's time to go home!"_

_ "But Papa—"_

_ "Don't you want Papa and Uncle Roy to make dinner?"_

_ "Can we have hot dogs and fries?"_

_ "Sure thing! Anything for you!" He laughed and swung her onto his shoulders once more for the trip back._

_ Roy washed while Sapphire dried and Kenny put away the dishes after their meal. Then, Kenny said, "Say bye to Uncle Roy. He has to go home and it's almost your bedtime."_

_ "OK, Papa!" she replied, reaching up to Roy as her way of asking to be picked up. As he lifted her, she gripped him tightly and kissed him. "Goodnight, Uncle Roy. I wuv you!"_

_ Roy's voice hitched. But he gulped and whispered, "I love you too," into her hair. He set her down and almost immediately after hitting the tile, she took off upstairs. He had to quickly wipe away a tear before his brother teased him about getting sentimental. Roy Mustang was not a sappy crier._

_ "I'll walk you out," said Kenny, opening the kitchen door. The brothers went out, but stayed on the porch lit by the glow of an orange streetlamp, each deep in his own thoughts._

_ "Thanks," Kenny said suddenly. "For everything. I really appreciate it."_

_ "Hey, you're my brother. You're family. I'd die for you."_

_ "You know, you'd make a good dad someday."_

_ Roy grinned and raised his hands in defense. "No, I wouldn't. I don't have whatever it is you have, Ken." Unanticipated, Roy noticed how tired and _old_ Kenny looked. The light brought out all the wrinkles, dark bags underneath his eyes, and pale lips. "Hey, Kenny, take it easy, OK? You and Sapphire should take a vacation. Go south, rent a cabin, blow off the research for a while."_

_ Kenny laughed wearily. "I'm much too busy. I'll just get to bed early tonight."_

_ Roy nodded, but didn't really accept their compromise. "You take care."_

_ "Sapphire's got _that_ covered!"_

_ The brothers shared an embrace, and Roy took his first steps off the porch. Maybe, he thought. But do _you_ have that covered?_

Obviously not, Mustang thought darkly as he stood at the darkened window. Kenny got himself blown up the very next night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Just typed this up really quickly for you, because I realized I've forgotten about posting lately. Lot's of stuff going on, you know how it is for a junior in high school. ACT preparation, AP preparation, band festival, Shutocon, et cetera. Anyway, here it is, lovlies! Review if you want to. I appreciate it!**

**I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist but I do own my original characters and ideas.**

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><p>It looked as if they were transporting a serial killer, Ed thought. Were all the guns and soldiers necessary?<p>

The group—that is, Ed, Mustang, the team, nearly a dozen extra soldiers (all heavily armed), and the Emerald Alchemist, or Emeril Langley, Ed had learned, were on a train back to Risembool.

Earlier that day, Mustang had gotten in touch with his team that he'd left to search for Sapphire. There was absolutely no sign of her, they'd reported—footprints, hair, blood, her body—nothing. Subsequently, Mustang called them off, telling them that he had a plan and to meet them at the station.

Ed wasn't allowed to tell Al, Winry, and Pinako what had happened, as per orders of Mustang. They were on a need-to-know basis, he explained, and what they needed to know was that Sapphire was safe.

Well, not yet. But soon, Ed hoped.

He'd noticed that Mustang, after slipping back into his usual stony military face, hadn't returned for more outbursts. It seemed that he was taking this as strictly business now. Honestly, Ed thought he was being stupid. If this was _his_ niece he was trying to find, he'd be frantic with worry. Actually, that was how he felt. Even if she was going into the Colonel's custody as family, he still wanted to see her safe.

* * *

><p>So cold.<p>

Night had fallen, and it'd fallen like a bag of stones on Sapphire, snatching what little heat she had in a mere hour. The woods were unforgivingly icy, strikingly different from the fields that would soak up the April sunshine and slowly give it off at night.

In the short time she'd wandered in, she wandered around with outstretched arms, praying that the trees would thin and she'd find the edge of the hills and the field. Alas, she guessed, she was probably deeper into the woods than ever. It was a stupid hope.

Sapphire desperately wriggled into a particularly large pile of fallen leaves, as a last ditch effort to stay warm. They helped, but then again, if someone was starving to death, a mint would "help."

In her days as prisoner, she learned to take every day moment by moment. If she could survive this moment, this split second, she could survive the next. And the next. She'd wanted to survive and to escape. Well, maybe not survive exactly, but she sure as hell didn't want to die.

Now, though she _did_ want to. She was a hopeless case. Any normal person could look up at the sun, deduce north, and probably escape unscathed. Sapphire would be stuck here, curled up in this pile of leaves until she died of starvation, exposure, or some animal bite. There wasn't a shred of hope inside of her. Just as she thought she was finally free from him, she wasn't.

As Sapphire shivered uncontrollably and clutched at more leaves, she started to think about her papa. For losing him at such a young age, she remembered much about him. His bangs were forever falling into his face, and he'd always shake them out or blow them out with an upwards glance. He used to love giving her piggy back rides all the time, and she remembered how she used to grip his hair if she got too excited. If she was sleepy, she'd fall asleep with her nose buried in it, breathing in his shampoo and the musty cologne that Uncle Roy had bought him.

He had this tic if he was sitting immobile for too long, like if he was reading over some notes in his study, and he would suddenly crack his neck and back with a series of consecutive _pops _that would make Sapphire jump. It scared her, but it was one part of her dad that she'd always remember fondly.

He wrote her a lullaby when she was a baby. It was simple, short, and had nonsense verses, but every night, whether Papa was busy with research or not, he'd tuck her in bed, grin lopsidedly, and start singing to her.

_Why don't you sleep tonight?_

_ I'll kiss you goodnight and turn off the light_

_ You can pretend to be the gem you are_

_ And dance in the sky with the stars_

She mouthed the words as she lay on the cold ground, imaging that the leaves were a soft blanket that Papa pulled up to her chin.

_Sapphire, my one and only love_

_ As beautiful as the stars above_

_ Like a sparkling jewel in the sky_

_ So beautiful she makes me cry_

After a while, she couldn't tell if she was dreaming of him or just hallucinating. If it was a hallucination, it was a very clear one. She didn't even feel cold anymore. It must've been a dream, though, for she started hearing unfamiliar voices talking, taking the plot of the dream into a new twist the way dreams do.

"Are you sure, Gluttony?"

"Yes yes! Gluttony is very sure. He smells her nearby."

"Alright. Just lead the way."

The first voice was silky and purred, while the other one was shrill. They seemed to get closer, and Sapphire heard feet crunching on the underbrush, getting closer.

"Here, here! Gluttony found the girl! Do I get to eat her?"

"No, Gluttony. I'll reward you with a nice juicy rat later. Is she buried underneath those leaves…?" Sapphire felt a warm breath near her face. "Hello? Sapphire? You OK, sweetheart? Can you hear me?

Sapphire couldn't muster up the energy to move her frozen lips and answer. After a beat, a pair of strong, slender arms lifted her up and a heavy cloak was draped on her. So warm… Sapphire thought before drifting off into unconsciousness.

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><p>There was another bout of wild clanking behind them as the alchemist tried to shake his handcuffs off. "Must I be bound?" he whined. "I can focus better when my hands are free."<p>

"Absolutely not," Mustang barked. "We had an agreement. I'll let you free once she's safe."

The alchemist shrugged and stared off into space, his eyes glazing over. Man, Ed thought, he looked so easy to punch right now. As soon as Sapphire was safe with Mustang (a thought Ed didn't want to acknowledge) he would beat the living hell out of him.

They'd finally reached the forest, after hours upon hours of travelling. At the edge of the trees they stood, waiting for the alchemist's response.

"She's about two kilometers, plus or minus a few meters, north-northeast of here, curled up in a pile of leaves," Langley suddenly said.

"Let's go," ordered Mustang to the group.

Outside the forest, it was night, but nevertheless lit by a half-moon and the stars. Once they got under the black canopy of leaves, it became pitch black, impossible to see. Everyone who had them took out their lanterns, but even they weren't able to illuminate an area more than six feet ahead.

"Can I ask you something?" Ed asked Langley after a while.

"I can't make any promises about being honest, but go ahead, shorty."

Ed clenched his fists at the insult but when on. "How exactly do you know what she feels?"

Langley glanced sideways and down at Ed before answering, letting his impatience rise. "I formed a substance called green blood. If ingested daily, it replaces the red and white blood cells in human blood. Both I and the girl have it. After a few days of starting the experiment, I discovered that it gives us a connection where I could feel when she feels, and know where she is anywhere."

"That's so messed up," Ed heard Mustang mutter under his breath.

Ed spun to the Emerald Alchemist angrily. "You injected her with this green blood? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Langley froze mid-step, but not because of Ed's accusation. "Someone's with her," he said.

"What?" yelped Ed and Mustang in unison.

"Let me listen," he hissed. "They're speaking…one of them is called Lust and the other is Gluttony. Odd names."

Ed's heart stopped. Cold fear spread through his veins, chilling his soul. No. Not them.

He watched as Mustang took off, screaming Sapphire's name, and followed with the soldiers, blasting through the trees like a group of bullets. Not the Homunculi, Ed thought as he sprinted after him. Don't you dare hurt her.

"Right…up ahead," the psycho alchemist panted, struggling to catch his breath as they stormed through. Then, the spheres of light revealed a pair of red eyes in the distance.

"Why, isn't it the Fullmetal and Flame Alchemists!" Lust called. She stood from her kneeled position with a bundle in her arms. "What a surprise."

Gluttony stepped out from behind a tree, grinning from ear to ear. "Lust, may I eat _them_ as my reward?"

"Seeing as I have the girl, yes. Why not?"

"Wait!" Mustang shouted, reaching out for the blanket bundle in the Homunculus's arms. "Don't you dare leave with her."

"Should we fire?" Havoc asked.

"No, you moron, you'd hit Sapphire!"

Lust laughed. "All this fuss for one girl?"

"We could say the same about you," Ed growled. "Hand her over."

"Gluttony? Have fun!" Lust called over her shoulder as she took off faster than eyes could follow.

"Someone go after her!" Mustang ordered. The whole lot took off in Lust's direction, leaving Mustang, Ed, and Langley alone with the other Homunculus. Ed clapped and deftly transmuted his automail into a blade, but Mustang was already one step ahead of him, his gloves on and fingers poised to snap. "Where is she going?" he snarled, addressing Gluttony. "Where is she taking Sapphire?"

Gluttony's massive pink tongue lolled out of his mouth hungrily. "Gluttony gets his reward for finding the girl. He's very hungry." Then he lunged.

Ed rolled out of the way. Mustang took a quick step to the left, snapping. His lick of fire missed Gluttony, though, so Ed dived blade-first, sinking it deep into Gluttony's chest. He glanced down, seemingly with no pain, and tried to bite Ed's arm, struggling to reach it. Within moments, Gluttony's wound crackled with crimson light, and the skin stitched itself up.

Mustang shot another flame at the Homunculus, managing to scorch a small portion of his face. "I don't want to deal with this!" he barked.

"Then go after Sapphire!" Ed yelled, slamming his hands on the ground to toss the adversary into the air. "I'll deal with Gluttony!"

"You can't handle him by yourself!"

"Like hell I can!"

As Gluttony rolled back up with a healed face, Ed clapped and hit the ground again, this time sending up dozens of spears and piercing Gluttony's body, pinning him in the center of the spears. He yowled beastly and struggled against the binds, but he was finally subdued. "There," Ed panted. "Go get her."

Mustang and Ed shared a look. Each knew what the other was thinking. Or so Ed thought. Before Mustang left, he turned to the Emerald Alchemist, cowering behind a tree, snapped, and precisely, shockingly lit him on fire.

Langley screamed, high pitched and wild, falling to the ground and rolling in vain. Mustang's pupils were bizarrely contracted for the dark night, but besides that, no emotion showed on his face. He mercilessly turned to the impaled Homunculus, who looked like a small worm on a hook. "My Lust," he whimpered once, a drop of blood falling from his lips. Mustang raised his arm and snapped again.

Ed was still kneeled in horror in front of the two burning beings as Mustang walked away into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Many apologies, I was uber busy lately. Now, I'm on winter break, so the chapters should be coming out faster.**

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist but I own my original content.**

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><p>In so many ways, he was mature. He'd become a State Alchemist at twelve. He'd supported himself and his brother for years. He'd been through endless seas of pain, both physical and mental. He'd fallen in love. But Ed was a mere child, one who'd literally been to death's door and back, but still a child that didn't know that good guys could murder without remorse.<p>

His shoulders shook as he cried into his hands, the tears dotting the soil beneath him. Weren't they just going to capture Gluttony and turn him into the Fuhrer? He'd only pierced him to trap him long enough to get backups. Those bastards couldn't die.

Well, Mustang proved _him_ wrong.

After an hour or two, long after Ed stopped gasping and kneeled with his face cupped in his automail hand, its metal cooling his hot face, Mustang came stumbling back. His face was stonily set.

"We couldn't find her," he said quietly.

Ed didn't answer. He simply couldn't muster up the energy.

"Everyone else and I are going to catch the early train to Central. I have a lot of paperwork to do. You have to come and do the mission report from when you arrested the Emerald Alchemist."

"Why bother?" Ed muttered. "He's dead now."

Mustang put a hand on Ed's fleshy shoulder. "I will admit that I lost my temper. But come on, kid. It's nearly five. The train station's opening soon."

Ed had a sudden image of striking Mustang, but his hot anger quickly drained as exhausted took his limbs. He allowed Mustang to help him up and walk him back to the house, too tired to resist as he would usually do.

The other soldiers and Mustang's team reached the house at the same time as them looking tired and beaten unsurprisingly for being up so late. Ed sagged against the doorframe as he unlocked the door, and nearly fell inside. All he wanted was sleep.

"Fullmetal," Mustang said softly, as to not awaken Winry and Pinako. "Forget Central. Get some sleep, and then you and your brother can come up." Ed nodded and immediately headed up the stairs to his room, fell onto his bed without undressing, and fell into a blessed, dead sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Downstairs, Mustang shooed everyone out, and they began to walk back into town, the sky turning grey as they went on. He could tell Ed thought he was a murderer. But he couldn't afford to feel remorse just yet. Yes, he thought. He'd feel things later. After the paperwork got done.

"Let him sleep, Alphonse."

"He just disappears with Sapphire and you expect me to let him sleep?"

"Something happened last night."

"Well, obviously!"

Ed rolled away from the whispers, trying to fall back into unconsciousness, but his attempt was interrupted by the slam of a door and Al's clanging armor barging in.

"Brother!"

"Go 'way," Ed mumbled, throwing the blanket over his face.

"Brother, where is she?" Al demanded.

A knot wrung itself in the pit of his stomach as he sat up, remembering what had happened the night before. "She…the homunculi kidnapped her, Al."

"No," Al gasped, stepping back.

"The Colonel and I tried to save her."

"She's gone?" Al asked in disbelief.

Ed nodded, twisting his hands in the sheets. "We're going to do everything to get her back. I promised her I'd protect her." Another knot, this time in his throat, formed as he realized that he _didn't _protect her. Lust and Gluttony got her and he didn't do anything about it. Some promise.

Warmth. Wait, wasn't she cold, freezing to death in the chilly April night, wrapped in a pile of rotting leaves? It felt as she was lying in a soft, warm bed with a heavy comforter draped over her body. Could it be…? Was she back?

Sapphire sat up and strained her ears to hear anything, like voices, or the Rockbells' dog barking. "Hello?" she called out. "Pinako? Edward? Al?"

"Hello there," someone said silkily. "So nice to see you're awake!"

The voice was definitely not one she recognized, and Sapphire scooted back in wariness. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lust. I'm the one that found you in the woods. Are you hungry?"

"Um…" Sapphire stammered.

Never one to trust so easily, that had all changed when she finally experienced compassion from the Rockbells and Elrics. Regardless, she was still a bit frightened at this new person. "I suppose so."

"How do chicken, bread, and some vegetables sound?"

Sapphire shrugged indifferently but relaxed a bit. Lust's voice seemed soothing in a familiar sort of way. "Here," said Lust. "I've set up a table for us to eat at." Sapphire felt a slender hand grasp hers and pull her out of the bed, off towards the left. "There's a chair right in front of you. Can you sit?"

"Yes, I can _sit,_" Sapphire grumbled, feeling for the chair and table's edge and setting down. A wave of aromas hit her nose. Oh, food!

"Smells pretty good," Lust commented. Sapphire heard a fork clink up against a plate, so she must've been beginning to eat. Sapphire followed suit, feeling around the table for the fork and knife, and started to eat.

It was delicious. Of course, it didn't help that she was starving, her last meal—the sandwiches with Ed—seeming so long ago.

"So," Lust began, "may I ask why you were in the middle of the woods all alone?"

"I…" Sapphire didn't know whether to trust this person when she didn't even trust Edward and Al yet. But that voice was so comforting, like a mother's. It seemed to smile at her. Actually, Sapphire could tell when people were smiling, because their voices changed ever-so slightly. "I was running away. Someone was chasing me."

"Oh, that's terrible! And you got lost?" Lust sounded a little forged and phony, but Sapphire sighed and continued.

"Yeah."

"Well, you're safe here from whomever was chasing you."

"Great." The food suddenly seemed so revolting, like sand in her mouth, and she turned away from where Lust's voice was coming from. "Would you take me back to the Rockbell's now?"

"Oh, but you need to rest, sweetheart. You were ice-cold and nearly dead by the time we found you. You need to rest here." A hand came out of nowhere, stroking Sapphire's hair, sending her head reeling back from the touch. Although, it was so nice to have someone stroke her hair, like she was a child, and it was her mother.

The jerk of her head must have upset her stomach. Sapphire doubled over in pain, gasping, and her belly on fire. This was bad, she thought amidst the pain. Just sit up and pretend everything's fine. A tight sensation, like a closing hand, clenched her lungs too, and Sapphire coughed, racking up mucus into her hand. She quickly wiped it on her pants and blushed, apologizing.

"You should rest." Lust sounded worried, Sapphire noticed as the pains in her stomach and lungs subsided. More than worried, her voice hitched at the end, like one would in fear.

Trembling, Sapphire raised an arm and shyly asked, "Will you help me to the bed?"

"Of course." Sapphire felt her arm touch hers briefly and she stood, followed its lead to the bed, and lay, trembling and curling into fetal position. "Will you take me back to the Rockbell's soon? Please?" she whimpered into the blankets.

The hand was back, stroking her hair. "Of course," Lust purred. "Just rest for now."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, here it is! Gosh, I love all the free time I have over break.**

**I don't own FMA but I do own all original content.**

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><p>Lust stayed kneeling at the bed, playing with the frail girl's hair until she drifted off, her tremors relaxing as she entered dream land. The Homunculus was still on edge from the coughing fit earlier. Sapphire was obviously in a much less healthy state than Father had thought; coughing up blood didn't seem that good.<p>

It wasn't only that, Lust thought as she remembered the scene from earlier. Sapphire had doubled over the table, her hand flying up to her mouth, barking. For such a petite little girl, those were some manly coughs. Then, blood had flown from her mouth, dotting her white hand with dark crimson spots. Lust had taken a cautious step back, but was still close enough to notice the next cough bring up, not red, but bright green splatters. They had the same consistency of the blood, so it was obviously not phlegm. Green blood.

Now, the girl seemed fine, but Lust was still uncharacteristically worried for her. She should go tell Father that she woke up, but she just didn't want to leave the girl behind, even if she was asleep. So pitiful-looking…

Lust leaned back onto her feet and stood, brushing her dress off. What the hell was she doing, anyway? She was told to get the girl bring her back, and that's what she did. She completed her mission. End of story.

She strode out, closing the door gently behind her. I hope Gluttony shows up soon, she thought, on her way to Father. I feel badly for leaving him behind. He needs to smack some sense into me, caring about some little, unimportant blind girl.

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><p>The window seemed to melt onto itself, an optical illusion resulting from the rain drearily dribbling down the glass. In the train car, the lantern on the wall remained unlit, allowing the grey sky to light the room. It made everything look drained of color, monochromatic and gloomy.<p>

Ed was leaning against the far wall, his legs already up on Al's lap, his eyes gazing out into the grey expanse outside. Al tried not to fidget. It was surprisingly easy when you didn't have a child's body that ached to move at every waking moment. He followed his brother's gaze out the window but, for he still had a child's attention span, looked away for something more entertaining. Maybe Brother wants to talk now, he thought optimistically, the same thought that he was thinking ever since ED had shown up in his room, explained what had happened, and then fallen silent. Ed hadn't said more than a dozen words since. Al had kept trying to converse with him, but his brother, always one to talk and laugh, was silent, his face set stonily in a way that reminded Al of the Colonel.

Shattering the thick silence, Al spoke. "I hope it's not raining this badly once we get to Central!"

Ed grunted in response.

Al sighed. It wasn't just the impending paperwork and mission reports Brother had to give that was dampening his mood, was it? They usually made him pout, but not to this extent. Whatever it was, Al hoped Brother would get over it soon, and cheer up.

A painstakingly long hour later, the boys were walking towards Central Command, umbrellas up against the torrents of rain. Before they were even within a few blocks of Central, Ed suddenly stopped and turned towards Al. "The Colonel only needs me, Al. Why don't you stay in town, maybe go check out an automail shop for Winry?" He didn't meet Al's gaze as he spoke.

"Um, sure," Al struggled to say, confused. As he turned to a café to find shelter for the moment, he bent to Ed's height and muttered, "You aren't the only one that misses her."

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><p>Ed continued his battle against the icy April rain by himself, umbrella squared at an angle and collar raised on his next. "Not the only one that misses her," he bristled. It wasn't that he missed her. He didn't, but he still wished she was around. He didn't <em>miss<em> her. She was kidnapped by the Homunculi, for gosh sake!

(He couldn't save her—)

Don't think that, Ed chided himself, shivering and passing another block, seeing the white walls of Central Command form out of the rain. He picked up his pace, nearly sprinting by the time he reached the doors, and burst inside with a splash a red swish of his coat. He didn't stop to chat with anyone (although Heymans tried, and was left disappointed and confused in the hallway), heading right to Mustang's office to get the dammed reports over with.

He knocked once on the door to the office with no answer. Impatient and annoyed already, he pounded on the door with his automail hand. "Colonel," he barked.

Did he imagine a faint _hic_ from inside?

"Come in."

Ed pulled open the door, walked in, shut it behind him, and sat with crossed arms in the chair before Mustang's desk. Mustang was staring out the window, his face hidden from Ed's view.

"We gonna get his over and done, or what?" Ed snapped.

Mustang only heaved his shoulders as a response. After a beat, he turned towards Ed, revealing a small glass filled with an amber-colored liquid in his hand.

"Isn't it a bit early to be drinking?" Ed said snidely, but internally chuckled.

"I'm not getting drunk or anything. I needed…something to calm my nerves." He scowled, settling his glass on his wide desk. Then his gaze softened. "Do you need something too? Ah, shit, forget it. I'm obviously drunk if I'm offering drinks to a minor." He fell into his armchair, his eyelids half-closed.

How could he sit there and get drunk? What was wrong with his man? Ed wondered. "Colonel, I'm sorry, but how do you expect me to give a mission report and do paperwork?"

"What do you mean, Fullmetal?"

"Maybe I should be afraid of you."

Mustang met Ed's childish glare with angry, squinted eyes. "I don't expect you to understand, but—"

"You killed two people in cold blood!" Ed accused.

Mustang got up tentatively, for having such a cool expression on his face. Ed expected him to jump up in anger. "First of all, one of those was a Homunculus. No one believes that they're real people. Secondly, that other person was the man that kidnapped my brother's daughter and held for ten ears, doing who-knows-what sick experiments on her. He doesn't deserve to be called human. Do you agree?"

Ed's glare softened by a degree and he nodded, grudgingly admitting that he agreed.

"I've already said that I over-reacted, didn't I?"

"Yeah…" Ed muttered.

"Then we're fine."

It wasn't that simple, Ed thought, but he was right in a way. "It's not all black and white," he voiced.

"Exactly."

Ed had been wrong to be so pissed. He could admit that, however, he was not going to forgive Mustang just yet.

"Fullmetal," Mustang said suddenly, "what would you do if a family member that you presumed dead showed up and then was taken away before you even got to speak to them? What if it was Al?"

Ed sank in his seat. He knew Mustang meant to hit a sensitive spot, and he'd succeeded. All at once, he realized why Mustang had started showing his emotions and letting them get the best of him, tarnishing his reputation of a cold-hearted, unmoving leader. "Well, I'd be pretty upset," he answered finally, after a moment of silence. "And I'd probably kill a few people, and then drink my feelings away. But I'd also start to find a way to get him back…sir."

Mustang pulled himself up, now sitting straight with shoulders squared, although he was swaying a wee bit. "You're absolutely right. We've got to make plans and find the Homunculi. I had no right to lose control, even if…" Mustang became almost inaudible. "Even if I did want to be a father."

Ed jumped up, feeling the load on his shoulders and mind lift. A grin broke out on his face. "Let's get cracking, then!"

"But first, the mission report and paperwork."

"What!"


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist but I do own all original content.**

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><p>Every morning, it seemed, Sapphire was waking up dazed and confused. First, it had been when she first got to the Rockbell's, and awoken frightened out of her mind. Then there had been waking up in the late afternoon after being carried inside by the suit of armor. Then, in the presence of Lust. Now, Sapphire awoke slowly, a result of the swelling, tight pain in her throat, like she hadn't drunk anything in days. She attempted to swallow, but couldn't, and started coughing dryly, cringing at the new throbs of pain it brought.<p>

"Here," she heard someone say, and the cool rim of a glass was brought to her lips. As she opened her chapped lips, water flowed into her mouth, and she swallowed it all in one gulp. "Better?" the voice said.

"Yes," Sapphire rasped. After clearing her throat, she pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Lust?"

"Yes, that's me."

Sapphire's mind was slowly coming out of her post-sleep fog. Lust…she thought. What a peculiar name. "Like one of the seven deadly sins?" she voiced.

"Yes. There are seven of us," Lust answered.

This sparked Sapphire's curiosity and she straightened up. "Really? Why are you all named after sins?"

"That's what Father named us."

"Why?"

"Because…well, we're all kind of like the sins. Gluttony likes to eat a lot, Envy lets jealousy get the best of him, and et cetera."

"So, you lust after things?"

"I guess I do," Lust chuckled. "Some say I'm not too hard on the eyes either."

"Who is Father?" inquired Sapphire. "Your boss? Or your actual Papa?"

"You could say he's both."

Sapphire pursed her lips in contemplation of this latest information.

"Actually," Lust said with a hint of apology, "he told me that he wanted to talk with you as soon as you awoke. Are you well enough to walk?"

"I'll have to get on my feet to find out," Sapphire said, stepping lightly on the ground. She put weight on her legs, which remained stable. Before she could step to demonstrate that she could walk, Lust took in a sharp breath.

"Oh, gosh. Your clothes."

"What's wrong with them?" Sapphire asked, feeling her shirt. She discovered multiple tears and clumps of dirt, and a small twig entwined in her sleeve cuff. "Wow," she laughed. "I probably look a mess."

"I'll get you an extra shirt and pair of pants. Wait right here. I'm afraid all I own are dresses, but someone probably has extra clothing somewhere," Lust offered. Sapphire heard her heels click out of the room as she left.

She felt a rush of gratitude for Lust. It was almost unbearably kind of her to get her something to wear. It was almost unbearably kind of her. Honestly, she didn't care how she looked. Sapphire couldn't see, so why bother looking good? Even though she fully believed that, her fingers found their way to her head, feeling her hair. It was thin to the touch and extended only to the nape of her neck. It hadn't grown much in the past year as a result of malnourishment, but Langley had also cut it periodically. His reason? So she couldn't find a way to strangle herself with her own hair.

Her finger's next destination was her face. Sapphire could remember how her five-year-old self's face looked like, but she hadn't really thought about what she looked like now. People had always told her that she looked like her father. He'd been thin, but tall, with shaggy black hair that hung over his eyes constantly. She knew he had the same color hair as him, and guessed she was lean like him. She wondered if she still had the thick, long, dark lashes framing her bright blue eyes. I wonder if I'm pretty…she thought.

Not long after pondering this, Lust returned. "I brought you the smallest clothes I could find," she said, and Sapphire felt a weight drop into her arms.

"Thank you, Lust."

"That's quite alright. I'll turn around while you change." Sapphire quickly changed into the clothes. The feel of the new ones were surprisingly large; she hadn't realized how grimy her other ones had felt against her skin until she had a juxtaposition.

"I'll take you to see Father now," said Lust, putting a hand on Sapphire's shoulder and guiding her out.

After a few moments of walking through cool, damp air, Sapphire asked, "Why does Father want to see me?"

"Well, Sapphire, we need to learn what went on with the Emerald Alchemist. He…worked for Father and suddenly disappeared." Sapphire's ears caught a change of tone in that last sentence. Lust's voice sounded more guarded. She was hiding something. "We need to know what happened to him, and Father thought you would be able to help."

"I don't want to talk about him," Sapphire said quietly, her voice shaking slightly. "Don't make me."

"All we need is a few minutes."

Sapphire's heart began to beat wildly. No one could understand. All she wanted was to forget the past decade and start a new life for herself, one without the Emerald Alchemist, maybe even one in Risembool.

"Will I be taken back to the Rockbell's afterward?" she asked cautiously.

Lust paused for what seemed like a long while before replying, and her fingers twitched on Sapphire's arm. "I've already said I'd take you, didn't I?"

Sapphire cringed and nodded. Now, Lust seemed annoyed at her. She decided to shut up for the rest of the trip.

As the duo walked on, the echoes of their footsteps morphed. At first, they'd seemed contained and cut short, as if they were in a hallway. Now, they travelled, the sound waves expanding outward to walls so distant that Sapphire couldn't hear the echoes bounce back. After two dozen steps, Lust stopped and said, "Hello, Father. I brought Sapphire."

"Sapphire!" Father's elderly voice exclaimed. "How are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," Sapphire murmured shyly.

"That's good. Well, I just want to ask you a few questions about the Emerald Alchemist."

Sapphire squirmed uncomfortably and wished more than anything she could get out of there.

"I would have had him brought here, but I understand that he is under arrest, and trying to talk to him at prison would be next to impossible, no?" He laughed as if trying to lighten the mood. "So, first off, why did he resign from the military ten years ago?"

"I thought he was working for you," Sapphire said.

"Yes, he was. But when he left the military, we lost contact with him. Why did he resign?"

"I don't know."

"Alright. Did he continue his research on creating a Philosopher's Stone using plants?"

"Yes."

"That's great! Did he succeed?"

"Why don't you ask all the people he killed?" she said darkly. "The ones he tortured, or the ones he turned into plants?"

"Oh?" Father said, his voice taking on an interested hitch to it. "Tell me more."

Sapphire bowed her head. So many people—homeless, or prostitutes, or runaways, or plain citizens. Their screams had filled the building as their very genetic makeup were twisted in ungodly ways. "You can't even make a goddam Philosopher's Stone that way. He figured that out pretty quickly. Then, he just focused on his own experiments. The green blood, and turning people into plants, or binding their souls to them, just because he _could._" Her voice quivered.

"Father," Lust warned.

"One more question, Sapphire. And this one isn't about the Emerald Alchemist." Sapphire tried to force back the memories and raised her head to listen. "Do you know that you can perform alchemy?"

Sapphire's eyes widened, her face frozen in a blank expression. No, she couldn't perform alchemy. Her Papa never taught her. And Langley…well, she was a prisoner, a slave, not an apprentice of his.

"Yes, you can," Father said, as if reading her disbelieving mind. "I know you can't see them but you have alchemic tattoos on your skin. They enable you to do alchemy. You've only done it once, though. Would you like to learn now?"

"To learn how to do alchemy…the thing that Langley lived for?" Sapphire said low. "No way in hell."

"No? Not the thing your Papa loved almost as much as you?"

"He…he didn't want me to learn. He said it was a dangerous science, that I'd learn when I was older."

"You're older, aren't you?"

Sapphire had to agree, but she feared alchemy. Sure, she wanted to be her father's apprentice as a child, but after alchemy was used on her for so long, it was aversive, like torture itself.

"I see something in you, Sapphire. I'd like to have you as my apprentice and work for me."

"Why would you think I'd want that?"

"If you do, I'll give you your eyesight back."

Time seemed to stop. "I'd do anything to see again…" Sapphire whispered, tears brimming in her eyes from sheer, raw emotion. "Anything."

"Then I'm sure it's a deal worth considering. Lust…" Father said. Lust put a hand on Sapphire's arm and urged her out, back the way they came.

A daze is an understatement for what Sapphire was in. the floor beneath her was nonexistent, and Lust's fingers on her arm were hovering rather than making contact. Back ta the room, Sapphire's weak knees gave out, and she _flumped_ into the chair. She turned her chin up at where Lust was, her eyes wide with hope. "Lust?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Can he really give me my eyesight? Is he _that_ good at alchemy?"

Lust patted her hand, but Sapphire didn't register the touch. "Yes. He can do that."

"Tell him I'll do it. I'll become his apprentice, or work for him, or do whatever he wants. I want to see."

"You can tell him yourself."

Sapphire brought her hands up to her unseeing eyes. "I'll be able to see what I look like after ten years," she said in wonder.

Lust just patted her knee in reply.

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><p><strong>Hey guys. I just wanted to say that with school and everything else, I don't have enough time or patience to finish this up. But I'd like some feedback. You guys gotta let me know if you want me to finish it up. I didn't have much planned until the end anyway. So if at least one person reviews and says he or she wants me to continue and finish it, I will.<strong>


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